Confidential
by NewYorkAngel11
Summary: Maximum Ride is the one and only daughter of Jeb Ride and Valenica Martinez. Only there's a few problems here; her dad is the president of the U.S., her parents are divorced, people are after her, and she has to keep her identity a secret from the whole world including Fang. FAX!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm Mazy! Well, actually that's just my old nick-name but that's okay, you guys can call me that :} If any of you guys have read Past the Limit by Dolphiness, you know I've written that story with her starting the third chapter. So, this isn't exactly my first story. And if you're wondering why I haven't put it up on my account, well…I was thinking of maybe putting it up later after the story is already done or something. And please hang in there with this chapter! I know it's boring, but I just had to set everything up and I know all the descriptions will probably bore you to death, but I PROMISE YOU, it WILL get better. I have HUGE, crazy plans for this story :P **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Maximum Ride**

My life is confusing. Period. Actually, my life is a mind-bottling kind of secret. I have this BIG secret NO ONE can find out about unless they have a death wish. Let me explain what I'm going on about.

I'm…the…first…daughter.

As in, the president of the United States' daughter.

Yeah…President Jeb Ride's one and only child...

Now for the confusing part; my parents are divorced, and as much as I love my dad, I CAN'T stay with him. I don't want to have to deal with reporters and meetings and flights for the next four years of my life. I don't want to always be dressed in fancy-ass-expensive clothes. That's just not my style and that's _not_ how I roll. Plus, I like being normal.

I've always lived with my mom, but I still got to see my dad once every month ever since my parents got divorced when I was two. Throughout my dad's entire life, he's worked with the government. It really wasn't a surprise when he decided to run for president, which gets us to where we are right now. He just won the election and got inaugurated into office last week. And right now, well…right now I'm on a plane moving to Washington D.C.

Let me explain, okay. You see, my dad and I really don't want to have to go four years without seeing each other, and he knows the reporters won't really pay much attention to me because I live with my mom and they've been divorced for quite some time now. Fourteen years to be exact, considering I'm sixteen now. To them, all they really know is that in his past, he has been married and has had a child.

"They won't want to have anything to do with you or your mom unless they find I'm still associating myself with you two," were his exact words. So unless I wanted reporters following me everyday for the next four years, they couldn't find out about my dad still visiting me every month.

So, we came up with a conclusion. Instead of my dad getting on a plane every month and flying all the way to Arizona, where my mom and I used to live, we would have to move to D.C. Here, it would be easier for him to sneak out and visit us without reporters getting suspicious about something. Here, he promised to come see me every other week.

When we got to our new home, Ella screamed in delight. Did I forget to mention I have a younger sister? Yup, well her name is Ella Martinez and she's 14. She's also the result of the only relationship my mom tried having after the divorce. A relationship that obviously didn't last.

My mom is Valencia Martinez. She changed her last name back to her maiden name after she got divorced, even though her and my dad still get along fine. They're friends even. They never even had a serious problem with their relationship. The only thing that actually caused them to get a divorce was Dad's job getting in the way.

My mom is a top veterinarian and my dad sends us tons of money all the time, so basically, we were covered for financially pretty well. We've always lived in big houses so I didn't exactly express that much enthusiasm when we arrived because after all, all it was ever going to be was just _another _big house.

Not that I didn't admire the house, because believe me, I did. It was a _nice_ house. The house was already furnished, and needless to say, decorated adequately. The good thing was, it wasn't too much and I loved how in this house, the sun shined through the windows, lighting up the entire house. The carpet was so soft and lush and the walls were this golden-yellow. On one side of the living room was this HUMONGOUS wall window, the glass having covered the length of the wall itself, letting in a spectacular view of the backyard along with the rays of sunshine illuminating the entire house in a fiery essence.

Back inside, I went up the stairs to find my room which I found immediately because of the plaque that said my name on the door. It was a BIG room. Inside, the walls were a lime green with a streak of a black line outlining wherever the walls met at the corners. I hope you can understand that because it looked ahh-mazing.

Sparing you all the detail, all the furniture in there was either lime green or black. What surprised me the most was this platform thing in the corner of the room. The cool part was it wasn't even built there or anything; all it really was was just an elevated part of the carpet, but it could totally be used as a stage. Perched up there, was my special acoustic guitar, my keyboard, my stool, and even my microphone.

Wait, did I forget to tell you, I LOVED music. What with all the moving and chaos in my hell-driven life, it was really the only constant, stable thing I had left.

Also, there was a balcony facing the backyard with the most spectacular view. There were trees close enough to grab a branch and sit on. The best part about it; I could totally see myself sitting out here, strumming my guitar or reading a book.

When I was done exploring my room, I went to find Ella and we just sat in her room and talked. Ella and I were close even with our differences. She was the type to design clothes while I on the other hand would wear anything as long as it was comfortable. I loved running while as Ella hated doing anything that would make her sweat. According to her, sweat is the number one main reason for the blocking up of pores.

"So…How do you girls like the house?" Our mom had popped in through the door without a single noise, startling us both. And after thanking her a million times over for setting up and designing the house in the most perfect way possible, we all head off to bed. I washed my face before turning out the lights and climbing in bed. As I stared out my balcony, I watched the moon shine brightly through the canopy of trees, shielding the night in an ever-present haze of navy blue skies. And looking up at those stars, I couldn't help but think that this was my new life now…

Sigh…

School tomorrow…

**Fang tomorrow. He-He. Again, I'm SOOOO sorry this chapter was such a bore. But usually, if you've noticed, the first chapter of a story is usually the dullest because you have to set everything up. But don't worry; like I said, I've got some insane stuff planned for this story, so I hope you keep reading! And sorry if you think Max is OOC, but I tend to incorporate a little bit of me into my characters, just so I could make this story a little more me. Review please! Even if it's just so you can yell at me telling me how this story will be such a horrible fail because of how boring it is :[**

**luvvYa -*Mazy*- **


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom, I hate you," I said at the kitchen table the next morning, joking around.

"Ha-Ha," she laughs, knowing exactly what I was on about.

"I will never be able to fully comprehend your desire to send me to hell five days a week."

"Well…face it Max, you kinda deserve it," Ella snickered.

"Does that mean you deserve it too? Last time I checked, you were just as compelled as I am to endure the torment school has brought upon us all," I fired back, using my logic.

"Well, Max, maybe if you didn't go around hating everything, maybe things would be different and you may actually be able to enjoy school." I literally flinched when she said enjoy. She was wrong though, I didn't hate everything, just the stupid rule that school had to start at 7:50 in the morning.

I mean, WHY? Someone please put me out of my misery and tell me why that is an essential part of our education?

Essential in our torment? Why yes.

But essential in our learning experience? Hell no.

"It's not fair. All it is is a vain sentence to complete and utter horror." And this is the mood I walked into school with for my first day. Not even my Jaguar convertible could cheer me up. And let me just tell you, my Jaguar is my _Baby_.

School.

Ugh.

* * *

><p>I parked my car quickly and stepped out of the car. The first thing that registered into my thoughts was the cold gust of wind that practically knocked me out. But instead of shivering of the cold, I shivered of delight. I'm really weird in the sense that I don't really get cold. It's really quite strange. I don't get it and neither does anyone else for that matter. And it's not entirely that I don't <em>get <em>cold, it's more like I love being in the cold and feeling it, if that makes any sense. I also hate feeling restricted in clothes. I can't stand it. That's why most of my wardrobe consists of shorts and t-shirts, the exact thing I had tossed on after taking my cold shower this morning.

I let the cool air into my lungs and enjoyed the fresh feel it left behind. I took another deep breath before I walked through the doors; it's the morning of my very first day, as well as the morning of the sixth month of school for others. It's February; the middle of the year.

_Just wonderful._

After practically taking a tour of the entire school before actually finding my first period class, I swiftly walked in, talked to the teacher quietly and quickly found my way to the back of the classroom, practically feeling my classmates' eyes following my every move, scrutinizing me from head to toe.

Why can't people ever just leave the new kid alone?

* * *

><p>I yawned, lifting my head up off the couch and stretched.<p>

Ugh. I hate it when you doze off on the couch by accident, then wake up and realize you just wasted your entire day. It makes you feel like crap. I looked at the clock; it was 7:30 p.m. So I had been out for approximately 3 hours? Wow. Today was a long day. First days are always the worst. You don't know anybody or anything and you feel completely lost and clueless. It sucks. **(A.N: Believe me, I know. I've moved like a thousand times already, and I'm only fifteen. Moving really does suck :P)**

Or at least for me it sucks, not for Ella though. She _already_ made a new friend, Natalie Nudge, who goes by her last name because 'It sounds cooler and is way more unique'. Ella sat with her today for lunch while I went up to the library in hopes of just being able to lie low. I was right, there was only this one other guy there, and he kept to himself. I was used to it really, the library, I mean. That's usually what I do anyway; spend my lunches in the library.

Incase you haven't noticed, I'm not really a people's person.

My hair was all tangled and I bet I gave off that 'just woke up look,' but I didn't care. I took a few sips of water before throwing on a light cardigan over my cami, putting on my 'oh so comfortable Ugg boots and walked out the door. Again, a cold blast of wind hit me and I shivered in pleasure as I walked down the road. I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to clear my head and get a sense of where I'd be living for the next couple of years. After all, sleep wouldn't be finding me anytime soon.

The sky was a beautiful midnight blue and the stars shined silver in the moonlight, giving off the most stunning illusion. It was a gorgeous night, but nobody was outside. In fact, most of the houses seemed empty. Where was everybody?

I guess my question got answered when I saw 'The Clusters'. Judging by the looks of it, it was like a neighborhood country club sort of place positioned right in the center of our neighborhood.

Outside the Clusters was a sort of railing that went around the entire thing. There were couches, tables and rocking chairs all along the outside. People were splayed outside and you could see everything inside due to the windows that were placed along the entire wooden building.

Inside, there were tables and some of the people were sitting there eating and drinking; I could see a concession stand in the corner. Others were out on the dance floor placed in the middle of the place. But what really caught my attention was the nice big stage up at the front of the area.

The place was nice, there were people of all ages there: Grandparents, adults, teenagers, kids… It was obviously a place the families of the neighborhood gathered up. From the looks of it, tonight was open mic night. It looked like a cozy place and everyone looked like a big family, seeing as how everyone seemed to know each other.

As I climbed the steps approaching the place, I decided to read a paper that was attached to the door of the place, and I was right, Fridays were indeed open mic nights. The calendar showed other cool things planned like karaoke, talent shows, couples' night, teens' night, kids' night…and that sort of thing. I had to admit, it was rather cool. At least now I had somewhere to come to when I got bored.

I decided to sit down on a rocking chair outside and enjoy the fresh air instead of going indoors. I could still faintly hear the music being emanated from inside though. I put my feet up to my chest and rubbed my legs with my hands, trying to warm them up a little. They were looking pretty red, just like they always do in the cold. I was wearing my shorts that I normally just wore around the house, but I guess it didn't matter seeing as how nobody here looked as if they had gotten all dressed up or anything.

I was just about to head inside to get all cozied up when I heard somebody start to strum a guitar. My head shot up to the place right across from mine where I saw a guy my age sitting on top of the railing, leaning against a pole mindlessly strumming his guitar. He was clad in all black and had messy dark hair. His skin was the perfect dark tan. Not that I'm one to care about looks and all, but I had to admit, it just wasn't fair; people spend tons of money trying to get that perfect tan, and here he is with it all perfect and natural.

"Umm," I dumbfoundedly murmured under my breath in a senseless haze. I shouldn't have said that however, because the moment I did, the guitar cut off and his head shot up to find me staring at him.

_Crap._

And to make matters worse, I didn't just look away. I sat there and kept on staring. And 'Why?' might you ask, 'didn't I just turn away?'

Well, because I'm an idiot and he was unbelievably gorgeous. I mean most people just don't get blessed with perfect genes but…there was not a single thing wrong with this boy's structure. And his eyes-Well, his eyes looked as if they had created an eclipse of their own, they were so dark.

Goodness, he looked good. The only thing that caused me to finally look away was that faint voice on the microphone coming from inside calling for 'any last person who would like to wrap up the final show'. I turned my head and walked straight into the building. Call it a sixth sense, but I could still feel the kid's eyes on me as I walked inside.

Greeted by warm and comfortable air, I walked straight onto the stage. I really hadn't been planning on singing, but for some odd reason, I did. Not knowing what I was doing, I was drawn to the stage.

"I could wrap it up," I told the guy. He looked about thirty with short brown hair, a crinkling smile and a twinkle in his eyes; a funny guy by the looks of it.

"Okay, are you the new neighbor? I don't think we've seen you around," He asked cracking me a smile. The crowd nodded and murmured in agreement.

"That's me. I'm Max," I hope I didn't sound shy or timid, but I think my voice came out a little small. It's the nerves. I've never really sang in front of people I didn't know before.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Max. I'm Phil, I own this place. I hope you and your family don't follow in all the other newcomers' footsteps and move back out the day after you actually meet us." The crowd laughed and so did I. "Take it away," he said.

So I did. I got behind the keyboard, and as soon as the music started, the nerves went away and I sang as if I was in my closet back home where no one could hear me. I sang "The Last Song" by Tim Halperin; the song I'd had on repeat for the past few days. **(AN: PLEASE do yourself a favor and go check out this song. Better yet, go watch the music video. It's amazing. It's sad that not many people know this dude. He's incredible. 3)**

By the time I had gotten to the chorus and finally looked up, I saw that with the exception of one guy, everybody inside had gotten up and was currently on the dance floor, swaying to the music, having a good time. Even the people that were outside had come in. Well…all but one other guy. I saw the guy with the guitar still sitting out on the railing watching me from a distance. Why hadn't he come in like everyone else? I couldn't help but feel a little rejected; does he not like me already? Was it my singing? Did he think I was bad?

I didn't have much time to look into it because I had to keep singing. I looked down at all the people; my new neighbors.

I spotted an old couple dancing in the corner of the dance floor and they were both gazing at each other with nothing but love and happiness in their eyes. I couldn't control my widening smile or the warmth that had unknowingly seeped into my voice.

Then I looked down below me, and saw a girl around the age of seventeen sadly glancing at the guy who had kept seated at a nearby table. I immediately got the sense that she loved this guy who looked so sad and lonely sitting by himself.

When she looked up and saw me looking at her, I gave her a smile of encouragement telling her with my eyes to 'go for it.' She walked up to him from behind and took his hand resting on the table in front of them. His look of surprise rapidly turned into one of warmth when he saw who it was.

As he stood up and led her to the dance floor, she let go of his hand only to wrap her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked up at me and gave me a look of sincere gratitude and since I couldn't help but feel thrilled for them, I gave the girl a secretive wink.

Little kids were dancing together in circles and couples were swaying to the music. People everywhere were looking up at me and smiling. I couldn't help but reminisce in the fact that I felt truly happy.

And as my eyes kept roaming, for some reason I found that they kept straying back to the guy in black outside. He nevertheless was perfectly fine by sitting out there watching everything being played out from the inside out. I did however take note in the guitar that he had set down.

By the time I finished the song, I felt exhilarated. It felt amazing to have everyone cheering, smiling and clapping for you. "Thanks everyone," I said into the mic as I walked off stage.

On my way to the concession stand, countless people stopped me to welcome me to the neighborhood. Everyone was so nice, it made me wonder what they would think if they ever found out about my relation to the president of the United States.

By the time I was finally able to get my drink of water, I followed everybody out the door. I had just come to my decision to go sit down on the same rocking chair as before, when someone accidently pushed me to the right. Unfortunately I stumbled, therefore losing my grip on the water, causing it to drench on none other than the guy with the guitar.

He looked up and his eyebrows quirked upwards questioningly. "Oh my, I'm SO sorry. I didn't mean to do that," I said quickly as I automatically and reflexively tried to wipe the water off the front of his shirt.

Now rewind what I just said. Wipe the water…off the front of his shirt? Do you realize how stupid that looks?

Oh my God, I'm an idiot! How do you wipe off water? Oh yeah, YOU DON'T! Oh God, I must look mentally handicapped. He must think I'm a dumbass. As my arms froze on his chest and my face flushed red in a record .5 seconds, I slowly looked up, only to realize how close we were.

His eyes were like silver stars entwined with the midnight black of a clear, night sky. Believe it or not, that's perhaps the most precise description one could use to describe his eyes because scattered across his irises were silver iotas of light. It was the most peculiar, yet also the most spectacular thing I'd ever seen. Actually, I'd _never_ actually seen anything quite like it in my entire life. I could literally pinpoint the individual silver lights in his eyes and decipher their movements as they drifted around in the pitch dark sky.

The sudden realization of just how close we were getting came to me when his cold breath washed over my face, knocking me out of my trance. I quickly stumbled back, shaking my head. Unfortunately though, I slipped on the water I had accidentally spilled. And just as I was waiting to plummet to my death, the boy's reflexively quick arms came out to greet me.

He lifted me up and I took a deep breath before he let go. Did I mention he smelled _really_ good? You know how everyone has their own scent. Well, his was like that of nature, completely and utterly natural; refreshing. He smelled like the wind, or better yet, the rain. Nice, and cool and fresh.

So basically, I just stood there looking like the imbecile I was, with this fine specimen of stranger right beside me.

"It's okay, let's just sit down first," he said. We walked over to the stairs and sat down next to each other, our sides nearly touching. By this time, everyone else had gone home and we were the only two left.

"I really am sorry about drenching an entire cup of water all over the front of your shirt," I felt bad.

"It's okay, really. It's no problem, I'll be fine." Mmm, he had the voice of an angel; it was like silk.

My eyebrows scrunched together as I eyed him doubtfully and replied, "You'll probably wake up sick tomorrow. It is pretty windy outside, you know?"

"_I_ know that." He rolled his eyes. You would have to be an idiot to not realize what he was really saying was, 'I know that, but do you?' You could just see it in his eyes. He was talking about my attire. After all, shorts aren't something you normally wear when it's cold. But before I could even say something back, he says, "I'm Fang by the way."

"Max," I say just as nonchalant.

"I know," he says coolly.

Huh?

"How do you know me? I just moved in yesterday."

"Well…let's see…" and he started counting things off on his fingers, "You introduced yourself on stage not five minutes ago, then there's the fact that you're the new kid at our school, and everyone's talking about you. Then let's see…oh yeah, you're in my P.E. class, but you didn't notice me…obviously."

"Oh." Honestly, sometimes I truly believe that I am an idiot. He says all that, and I respond with an oh? And as what he said begins to sink in, I find myself feeling so awkward you'd of thought I just peed my self or something.

"Wait, what did you mean by everyone's been talking about me?" Not that I cared what people thought about me, but honestly, I like to think of myself as keeping a low profile.

For some crazy, mysterious reason, his cheeks took on a trace of a light red, and he started to look a little uncomfortable. Now that makes two of us.

_Perfect. _

So I decided to clear my throat and change the subject, "So, do you not like my singing or something. I mean, you were the only one out here when everyone else was on their feet." I couldn't deny the fact that I was a little embarrassed, my cheeks warming up even more than before. There was no way I could even pretend I didn't see him out here watching me.

Surprisingly, he laughs. At my discomfort? I don't know. "No, it wasn't that, you were fantastic. Really, really fantastic actually." Then he quietly adds, "I just don't like crowds."

There was no pretending that I wasn't shocked. I mean, he's _shy_?

Hmm…perhaps I could learn a few things from this kid.

Besides, did he say I was fantastic?

I think he did. Oh God, now my entire face feels like it's on fire in the seventh pit of Hades' lair in the Underworld. Yeah…I'm a nerd.

_Magnificent._

He laughed a little at my expression, then reached behind him, and brought over his guitar.

"You were great on the piano, now let me show you a little something."

**AN: Bad? Good? Continue? Stop? Drop a review telling me what I should do ;D**


	3. Chapter 3

"_You were great on the piano, now let me show you a little something."_

He was outstanding. He really was. I was mesmerized by how his fingers so intricately played with the chords and the strings. The tune was enchanting; it made me feel like I was floating on the clouds atop the Caribbean's. It made me want to sleep a peaceful dream.

…Yeah, it was that good.

As the song came to a close, he looked up at me and just stared. I was so caught up in the moment it took me a second to gather my thoughts because the only coherent one I had was WOW.

"What song is that? It's amazing." I had to stop myself from saying you're amazing because that might've made things just a tad bit awkward.

He reached his hand up to rake through his hair. He seemed a little uncomfortable. He was looking down when he quietly said, "Well…I kind of wrote it."

I couldn't even believe what I was hearing. I shifted my entire body so that I was sitting down facing him.

"That is seriously amazing you know," I said as I waited for him to look me dead in the eye.

"Thanks," he sincerely said as he eventually looked at me.

I looked around, but there was nobody in sight. It was then that I realized just how dumb I was. I mean seriously, it's completely dark out, there's nobody around, and I'm sitting outside talking to a complete stranger. What is wrong with me?

I mean, I knew it was dumb, but for some odd reason, I didn't feel scared at all. Quite the opposite really. I felt more comfortable than ever.

It was getting pretty late however. I started to get up. "So, as much fun as this has been, I really should be getting home."

He followed suit by getting up too. "So you lead the way." He must've noticed the weird look I gave him, because he quickly reciprocated. "Don't worry, I'm not a stalker. But think about it. Something could just pop out of the woods and attack you." He smirked, "Plus, you're a girl."

I smacked him. In the shoulder. REALLY hard. He deserved it.

He laughed as he followed me down the street.

About a block from my house however, I got this feeling. I got this creepy feeling that made me start to sweat, and got me paranoid…

It was that feeling that you get when you know someone's watching you.

…Or when you're being followed.

I looked around me, but there was absolutely no sign of anyone or thing. Okay, calm down Max, I thought. You're just overreacting.

Fang looked me over with a worried look on his face. "Are you okay Max?" He kept his eyes trained on me as I looked anywhere but directly at his face.

"No, I'm good. I just…thought I heard a…coyote…or something…" I basically sounded like a five year old.

He stepped right in front of me, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. "You're a horrific liar you know."

I was frustrated with this kid. Would he ever just drop it? "I feel like we're being followed, okay!" I just spat it out and kept walking. I stopped however when I realized no one was right beside me. I turned around, and found Fang staring at me with his head tilted to the side.

"Why are you paranoid?" he asked. I could almost see the thoughts swirling around in his head, trying to piece things together.

"I'm not," I said with as much conviction that I could muster up.

He walked towards me, and didn't stop until he was right in front of me. His head was still cocked to the side, and he looked concerned, "Are you scared of me?"

"What? No." It was the most absurd thought, and clearly he saw that because he immediately relaxed.

He smiled, "Good."

My house was a few houses down. When we got to it, Fang smiled and said, "I should've known you live here. You know, there's this trail that leads from your backyard to mine. It just takes a minute to walk through."

Well that was good news. "Awesome! Well, come on." We walked into my backyard. I knew it was time to say goodbye, but I just didn't know how proceedings like this worked. And he just stood there, being absolutely no help whatsoever.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in P.E. on Monday," he finally ended up saying.

"Yeah, I'll race you."

He laughed, "Good luck with that." And with that, he turned around and walked away. Just as he was about to duck through the trees and into the night, he turned back around and called out, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I whispered into nothing but the darkness.

**FANG'S POV**

On my way back to my house, I couldn't stop thinking about Max. She was unlike anyone I'd ever known. My thoughts were cut short however when I heard an unnatural rustling of the leaves. I would've just pegged it off as an animal or the wind or something if…

If I didn't have the feeling that someone was watching me.

…**Okay, so this chapter is really short because I cut it off. There was more, but I decided I wanted a cliffe, so don't hate me. Oh, and SOOO, what do you think of the suspense that has been added? And also, I know that I have no reason to be mad or anything. But honestly, I only got three reviews last chapter. It just makes me upset because I know that SO MANY MORE people read this story, and only three people reviewed. It makes me feel as if this story is a failure. I prolonged putting this chapter out because I thought, 'maybe someone else will review', but everyday I checked my email, and there was nothing new :( I don't want to be like, 'I won't update until I get BLAH many of reviews'. But how about this; if I feel happy with the reviews that I get, there will be Fax in the next chapter. The chapter's already done, but I'll be happy to add Fax a little earlier than planned ;) THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE REVIEWED MY STORY THOUGH. I appreciate it SO much. **

**Random fact: I had this dream the other night that I met Enrique Iglesias. It was really cool! Any of you guys have a random fact you want to share?**

**~*Mazy*~**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am SO sorry if I forgot to put up a disclaimer. I do NOT own anything from Maximum Ride. All that belongs to James Patterson.**

_**Fang's POV**_

_I would've just pegged it off as an animal or the wind or something if…_

_If I didn't have the feeling that someone was watching me._

I stopped and turned slowly around, taking in as much as I possibly could. There was nothing there that I could see. I couldn't shake the feeling off though. Maybe Max was right. Maybe someone was following us.

That was it. I took off. I don't think I've ever sprinted that hard in my entire life. I reached the edge of the woods, and emerged into my own backyard. I walked to my porch, but looked back right before I ducked inside. I scanned the dark forest with my eyes. But right before I was about to turn around and go inside, I saw a shadow from within the trees…

It was most definitely a human shadow…

* * *

><p><strong>Max's POV<strong>

I had spent all weekend thinking about Fang. I really wanted to know more about him. He was interesting, intuitive, genuine… and well, really good-looking.

That's why when I saw him in P.E. the next day I couldn't help but smile. He walked over to me.

Goodness, he looked good in those shorts.

"So how was your weekend?" he asked, with a smirk.

"It was fine I guess."

Right then, the coach called us to the middle of the gym. "Alright everybody, we'll be running a timed mile today. And please, don't all cheer at once." P.E. teachers…they always think they're funny. Everyone groaned at once. Everyone but Fang and I of course. We both glanced at each other with the same competitive smirk on our face.

When we got up to the track, I just looked at Fang, and I don't know how, but I just knew that we were both thinking the same exact thing. "Let's do this."

"Oh, it is SO on Maxie." I glared at the nickname but he just winked at me as we took our places at the starting line. God, that wink was hot.

Yeah…um…whatever. Now was not the time to have an inner debate. The coach yelled "Go," and Fang and I were already at the 100 meter mark by the time the third fastest kid in the class was at the 50.

Oh, he really was tough competition. For most of the four laps, we were neck and neck. By the third lap however, I started cramping up in my stomach. And no, it wasn't because I was out of shape. Let's just say that sometimes it sucks to be a girl.

My stomach was really killing me, but I didn't give up. I never gave up. I grit my teeth and pushed myself so hard that it felt like I was going against the wind. Heck, it felt like I was going against the laws of gravity itself.

Look at me, defying the laws of physics.

You're almost there Max. Come on Max, run faster. You can catch him. Just push yourself, push yourself, push yourself. The distance between us was closing…

_If you just run fast enough, nothing can catch you._

The gap was closed in mere seconds, and I crossed the finish line just barely before he did.

"5:30, Good job Max." Coach read out my mile time. "Fang, 5:31. Good, but next time you should try finishing strong like Max over here."

I smirked as I walked to go lean against the fence surrounding the track at the school. "Victory," I arrogantly jokingly remarked over my shoulder. As I drank from my water bottle, I watched him stumble and wobble over his own two feet. Woah.

He was no doubt unsteady from the run. When he was right in front of me, his eyes rolled shut and he basically collapsed onto me. So instead of leaning against the fence, which was clearly his target, he ended up on me instead.

"Woah. Fang, are you okay?" I grabbed his shoulders, and shook him, which honestly probably wasn't the best move for either of us. You see, even though his eyes snapped open, this made him even more dazed, which caused for his cheeks to turn even more red, which lead me out of my state of worry long enough to fully observe his appearance.

He was sweaty and wet, his face was flushed red, his breathing was coming in shallow breaths, my back was against the fence, and he was against me. His body was on mine, his skin was burning hot and his face was about an inch away from mine. The most irrational thoughts started flooding my mind. I wanted to run my hands through his wet hair, I wanted him _closer, _but above all else, I wanted to stay there forever. I'll admit that even my breath started to come in unevenly because holy shit he was sexy.

I had to snap out of it though. "Fang, don't faint. Listen to my voice and look at me." Slowly, his gaze came up to look at mine. "That's right. Now just focus on one point far away."

He didn't listen to me though. He just kept staring in my eyes. "Now control your breathing." I knew he was returning back to normal when slowly, as his breathing returned to normal, his pupils began to take on a more normal size, and his face returned to its normal color.

**Fang's POV**

My eyes widened as I fully realized the current position of both of our bodies. It seemed as if our body heat escalated, and Max's skin started to burn against mine. I wanted to lean in, I wanted more of her. But above all else, I wanted to keep her there under me, where only I could _feel_ her. This irrationality caught me off guard, and I jumped back before I could do anything.

I felt like such a guy. But I don't know, it just felt like more than that because it wasn't lust. It was attraction, and I felt it from the moment I first laid eyes on her, which is corny but true.

Umm… okay, I think I need to shake off this ludicrousness before it consumes me. I felt pretty shaken up, and from the look on Max's windblown, breathless face, she seemed pretty shaken up too. And I'm not too sure it was entirely because of the run. Heck, I felt more off balance thinking about how my body felt on Max's rather than almost fainting.

"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry Max. I don't even know what happened. That NEVER happens to me. I usually run like 5 miles a day with no problem." Oh man, this was embarrassing.

She smirked, "How long has it been exactly since you've run '5 miles a day with no problem'?"

Oh man, oh man, oh man. She thinks I'm lazy and fat and slow. "No, no, no, no, no. I'm being serious. This is my first run in months. Just you wait and see, by the end of next week, I'll be able to knock a minute off that time."

She just stared at me. I'm not sure if she believed me or not because she took a sip from her water bottle, turned around and started walking away from me. I couldn't look away though. A few steps away however, she paused, turned her head over her shoulder, and called back to me, "Just don't forget how it feels to get beat. Okay, big shot?"

Oh, she was never going to let me live this down.

FML.

"Wait. Max," She stopped dead in her tracks, and turned around. Unfortunately, at this exact same moment Coach Hiley, the teacher, decided to walk over and ask, "Are you okay, Fang? I saw you almost faint over there. You need to go see the nurse."

"Oh no no no no no. That REALLY won't be necessary. I really am fine."

"Nonsense. Hey Max, would you mind taking Fang to the nurse."

She grinned wickedly at me, "Why of course not."

This day just keeps getting better and better. We were back in the building when I decided to speak up. "Okay, Max. This is absolutely ridiculous. I am NOT going to the nurse."

**Max's POV**** (Sorry if this seems like a random point of view switch. I was reading back through this when I realized I had randomly switched point of views without even noticing it.)**

"Why of course you are. Teacher's orders," I couldn't help but snicker.

"Whatever. Why don't we just leave? Skip class. There's this place I'd really like to show you." He did this thing with his voice that made his offer sound so irresistible. Plus, he cocked one eyebrow up, and looked at me with those eyes that say 'You know you want to'. My will was crumbling into pieces at that boyish cuteness.

"But I can't skip class. It's only my second day," Ha! Okay, I found my reason.

"But you know you want to." …Well, there goes my resolve.

Wait, no. A plan was formulating in my head.

"Fang, think about it…we're supposed to be taking you to the office because you fainted. Well…what if I pretended that _I_ was the one that fainted. If I make it convincing enough, they would probably send me home with an excused absence." I gave him this look that said there's more, "But wait, I wouldn't be able to get home because I can't drive and my mom can't get off work. If you say that you live in my neighborhood, they'd have no other choice but to excuse you as well so that you could drive me home. And BAM! There you go. We both get out of school with excuses. It's a win-win!"

He looked me up and down in a fashion that made me my palms sweat. "Diabolical," he said with an upward quark of an eyebrow. "You really are a mischievous little mastermind, aren't you?" That made my face flush red in record time.

The plan went smoothly for the most part. I held my breath before I walked in there for so long that when I walked in, my face was pale white and I was breathing in shallow quantities. I told them that I was seeing spots of black, and they immediately told me I had to go home and get some rest. I was afraid they would contact Coach Hiley, but as soon as they realized I had fainted, the secretary told the nurse that the P.E. teacher had just called in to inform them that a student that had just fainted would be coming on down.

As soon as we made it outside, we looked at each other, grinned and exchanged a high-five. We decided to take Fang's car. I left a note in my car telling Ella to drive herself home. I left one door unlocked and hid the key in a secret compartment where only Ella would be able to find it.

Fang appreciatively whistled at my car and remarked about my 'nice ride'. I'll admit, his car wasn't too shabby either. Granted, it was a black, leather seated, brand new 2012 Camaro coup.

I climbed in and put on my seat belt.

"You ready for this?" He said as he turned to look at me, his face a look of excitement.

I looked back at him, already having the time of my life. "Totally."

And we took off. He drove like a maniac, speeding and weaving in and out of the streets. We put on the music so loud we could hardly even hear our own selves if we tried to talk. It was dangerous, and fun and spontaneous, and I liked it. I liked it a lot.

We drove like this for about ten minutes before we entered a neighborhood, our neighborhood to be exact. As soon as we entered it, Fang turned off the music. So he was also sensible and polite. Good to know.

"Woah, I thought you wanted to show me something? What are we doing here?" I didn't want to admit it, but I REALLY didn't want to go home. I was just having too much fun.

"I am showing you something." And with that, he pulled up in front of his house. It was really nice, but surprisingly, when we both got out of the car, he led me through his backyard and into the trees instead of showing me the inside of his house.

We were walking for a few minutes before he started talking, "If you keep walking down this trail, you'll end up in your backyard." It was then that he stopped abruptly, and pulled back a barricade of overgrown leaves. This revealed an imperceptible trail that otherwise wouldn't have been noticed.

He let out his hand, jumped over a fallen log, turned back to me, and said, "Do you trust me?"

…**So, I'm sorry this took like a week to put up. I've been SOO busy. I AM SO GRATEFUL to all the reviews though. They made me SO happy! So I wasn't sure about that sort-of-Fax scene at the track. But like, I'm going to be fasting from sunrise to sunset for a whole month, so I most likely won't be updating for a while. UNLESS you guys surprise me with a large amount of reviews. How about if you read this chapter and liked it, you review ;)**

**Till next time, *~Mazy~***


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